The Chronicles of Gaia
by sophiaesteed
Summary: This is an AU featuring Sakura and Syaoran from TRC. Reference to other anime, manga, games are also possible.
1. Chapter 1

**THE CHRONICLES OF GAIA**

**LEGAL DISCLAIMER**

I do not own Tsubasa Chronicle, the characters, nor any other manga/game characters I may have referred to.

**CHAPTER ONE**

**THE WHEEL OF FATE**

It was a dark, cold and rainy night. The sky was covered in dark and stormy-looking clouds, the wind was blowing, the thunder was roaring and lightnings were falling from the sky, englightening the dark and gloomy forest that was known as Oblivion Forest.  
A train was running on his tracks, cutting through the darkness while crossing the Western Plains, headed toward the Oblivion Forest, bravering the elements.  
On board, the crew and passengers were all minding their own businesses, they couldn't care less about the weather outside: as long as they were warm and safe, it didn't bother them.  
The train had as its final destination the city of Timberbourgh, the capital of the Elven Kingdom deep inside the Forest, so, among the passengers, there were people of many kinds: many of them were Elves, but there were also Humans, Dwarves and a few from a kind known as Halflings, a peaceful race which inhabited a green and fertile land far in the East.  
The passengers were also from a wide range of social classes: knights and nobles from the elven artistocracy, students and teachers, merchants and businessmen, artisans, employees and professionals and a very few commoners and labourers.  
In a second-class compartment in a carriage in the central section of the train, there were this boy and girl: they were very young, still in their teens, but travelled alone.  
They sat next to each other. The girl was sleeping with her head leaned on the boy's shoulder, but the boy was awake and was looking outside the window, his gaze lost in the landscape.  
They were both good-looking. From their clothes one could guess they were from good families, but also that their present status was much humbler than it used to be.  
The boy had amber-brown eyes and hair, pale skin and a warm and gentle-looking face.  
He was wearing a pair of round glasses with silver-blue metallic frames, which partly hid his eyes, but gave him a grownup and stern look. He was of average height and rather thin. His clothes were made of good cloth and well-made, but they were kind of wrinkled and worn. He was wearing a beige needlecord sports jacket, a blue sweater, dark-blue jeans and a pair of grey-and-blue trainers. His name was Syaoran Li.  
The girl had emerald-green eyes and dark-blond hair. Her skin was even paler than that of the boy and her face was way warmer and gentler than the boy's. She was shorter and thinner. She was a kind girl, who knew of the sufferings of the human heart and always tried to make things easier and happier for the ones she loved and cared for. Her clothes were of good cloth and well-made and as wrinkled and worn as the boy's. She was wearing a blue duffel coat, a white shirt, a red sweater, a blue knee-lenght pleated skirt, knee-lenght white socks and a pair of light-brown loafers.  
Her name was Sakura Kinomoto.  
They both came from a small town always covered in snow, situated on the bigger of a small group of islands in the Northern Sea, called the Jade Islands.  
Since their hometown was placed under a big glacier, it was always cold and snowy there and, since it was far in the North, there were only six months of daylight there, the other six plunged deep in the night. Plants didn't grow there except for those which grew indoor, but the people there were wealthy because of the trade. The people there were also known all over the world for the amazing fighting skills of their warriors, the ninjas.  
It was an old tradition of noble and wealthy families to have their children trained in the ninja's arts. It was also a tradition to grow small potted trees called bonsai and to name girls from good families after the name of a fruit tree or flower tree.  
Sakura came from an old and noble family, so she was named after a tree which bloomed once in spring and had pink blossoms - the cherry tree; her name indeed meant _Cherry Blossom_ translated in the Language of the Westernesse.  
Being from a wealthy family, she received very good education and she could speak fluently the Elven Tongue, the Language of the Westernesse and the Halfling's Tongue.  
Syaoran came also from a very old and noble family, a family of warriors and magicians.  
Syaoran too received a very good education and could speak fluently many languages and he was also trained in the martials arts and ninja's arts.  
Coming from families which were very close to each other, the two of them were childhood friends.  
But now none of their past mattered anymore for Syaoran and Sakura. They were no more Syaoran and Sakura from the Jade Islands, they were only dear friends that were running away from a sorrowful and tearful past. It had been like that ever since their hometown was attacked by Demons, their friends and family slaughtered and Sakura's twin brother Kamui kidnapped and taken away.  
Because of that they left their hometown and set on a journey to rescue Kamui and find the truth behind Kamui's abduction and the Kinomoto Family's massacre. Syaoran's mother and father were also killed that day, along with his older brother and little sister.  
Since they heard in the Elven Kingdom there was this sorceress, who knew everything and could see the future, they were headed there to find a clue about Kamui's whereabouts.  
Just to get to the city of Sprinkle Water Hill, from which the train for Timberbourgh set off, it had been a long and difficult journey for Syaoran and Sakura and it hadn't been without problems, since the Demons which kidnapped Kamui sent pursuers after Sakura, too. They were able to run away from them twice: the first time when they left the Jade Islands for the Northern Continent and the second time when they set sail from Bjornheim, the capital city of the Northern Continent, for Seafarer's Haven, the biggest and liveliest harbor town of the Western Continent. But as soon as they landed, Syaoran felt the pursuers' presence again - and they kept running away from them ever since then. Even the very train they were on wasn't a safe place for them.  
The pursuers, which were half-demons, couldn't take the train themselves, because there were Elves on board, who could feel their presence and identify them, but Syaoran was sure they were still on the chase. That was why he couldn't afford to sleep, even if he was all worn out, even if his body was aching all over and he had a fever which kept worsening and worsening - even if his body kept telling him it needed to rest because it was about to break; but the pursuers could have attacked at any time, so it was best not to lower his guard.  
But for Sakura, it was different. Whenever they had a chance to, Syaoran let her rest.  
She was ill, she had a fever, but she kept running and running without even complaining. Syaoran knew she was a strong-willed girl and she would never give up. But her healt wasn't as strong as her will. Syaoran knew it and never let her push herself too much.  
Looking outside the window, Syaoran noticed that the rain just started to fall heavier than before and that the forest wasn't too far away now.  
As soon as the train entered the forest, it would have been elven territory.  
The half-demons couldn't follow them there, so Syaoran and Sakura should have been safe for a while. Finally, Syaoran would have been able to get some sleep. Thinking about it, he felt his eyelids becoming heavier than ever and his mind fading away.  
He was just about falling asleep, when someone opened the door and entered the compartment. Syaoran woke up right away and glanced at the stranger.  
It was a young man about the age of twenty. He had mid-lenght red hair gathered in a short tail, and sapphire-blue eyes. He was tall and athletic, quite the handsome-looking guy, or at least Sakura would have said so. He was wearing a long black leather coat, an amarant-red sweater, blue flared trousers and a pair of brown leather boots with silver spurs; he had a blue sash tied round his waist and he was wearing a cowboy belt with a pair of holsters and a couple of gans, too. Quite the Highland red-neck guy type. But there was something in his eyes that told Syaoran he wasn't one.  
"Could you please stop staring at me, kid?", he asked, "It's annoying! Look, this is the only spare seat I found all over this train, so I'm gonna stay here, you like it or not"  
"Like I care", replied Syaoran, looking away.  
"Good", said the Highland guy, sitting down, "Do you have a name, kid?"  
"I do. Not like I'm telling it to you"  
"Annoying kid. At least try to and be polite!"  
"You tell me your name first, then"  
"You do have a point. The name's Gaignun Jr. And yours?"  
"Dimitri Yuriev"  
"Yuriev, uh? From Bjornheim?"  
"Right. I'm a student. I'm attending university in Timberbourgh starting this semester"  
"I see. So you're a whiz kid. Is she your girlfriend?"  
"Indeed. The name's Irina"  
"Nice name. Guess she's a whiz kind, too".  
Then, he dropped the conversation, he stretched himself out the bench and fell asleep.  
Syaoran was glad the Highland guy fell for his lies and didn't notice his anxiety while he was speaking to him. Syaoran was an honest boy and never liked lying.  
He wished he could sleep too. He glanced outside and saw the forest wasn't too far away now. Just a little bit longer...  
But, before it could reach the boundaries of the forest, the train suddenly stopped, braking sharply. It was so sudden and abrupt that Jr. fell from the bench and hit the floor, waking up immediately.  
"What the...?!", he roared.  
Sakura woke up, too.  
"Syaoran, what's going on? Why the train stopped all of a sudden?", she asked, rubbing her eyes.  
"I'll go check it out", Jr. replied, standing up and stepping outside.  
"I'll use my Bloodline Limit", Syaoran said, right after Jr. left.  
His Bloodline Limit was a special ability that ran through the Li Family's blood and enabled him to see the near future - it was called the _Third Eye_.  
He formed a seal with his hands, whispered the word "_Shingan!"_, and closed his eyes.  
_Something was blocking the train's path...a fallen tree. But it wasn't struck by lightning, the trunk had been cut. Someone was getting on the train, seizing the chance -- or rather taking advantage of the diversion they themselves created - they were five - no, six black-cloacked-and-hooded men. They searched the train thouroughly and finally they found what they were looking for: a boy and a girl -- Syaoran and Sakura! They seized Sakura's arm and took her away. One of them remained to take care of Syaoran: before he could do anything to protect himself, Syaoran felt the edge of a dagger piercing through his left chest, slashing both his lung and heart..._  
Syaoran opened his eyes and threw up - it was blood!  
"Syaoran!", Sakura cried.  
"I'm all right", Syaoran replied, wiping his mouth and chin with his sleeve.  
The vision he had was so vivid he felt as like he was stabbed for real - he even could feel a sharp pain in his left chest -- and both breathing and speaking were painful.  
"They found us", he said, standing up, "They're coming for us. We must leave this train - now!".  
He seized his luggage from the rack and opened it, taking out a pair of dark-blue oilcloth cloacks.  
"Can you walk?", he said, giving a cloack to Sakura.  
"I'm alright, but Syaoran you're..."  
"I'm alright", he replied, putting on his cloack.  
He waited for Sakura to close her duffel coat and wear the cloack, then they stepped out the compartment, leaving their luggage behind and crossed the corridor toward the exit. While they were moving along the corridor, they stumbled upon Jr.  
"Kid!", he exclaimed, "It looks like there's something blocking the path - uh?".  
He noticed Syaoran's and Sakura's clothing and his expression changed.  
"Where are you going?", he asked, with a thoughtful expression on his face.  
"We're leaving", Syaoran replied, a serious and resolute look in his eyes.  
"What?!", yelled Jr., "You serious? With this weather? And we're in the middle of nowhere right now, miles away from the closest town! You'll get yourself lost, wandering alone in these woods at night -- and it is likely that you two're both going to be killed by hypothermia by tomorrow, if you walk outside in this heavy rain! - It's freezing-cold outside, ya know! Look, there's a fallen trunk blocking the railways, but I'm sure they'll be able to remove it very soon and --"  
"You don't understand! That trunk wasn't struck by lightning and fell on the railways by chance! -- It was cut, so to stop the train and allow those men to come aboard -- they're looking for us!"  
"I don't get you. You told me you were students, what do those men want from you?"  
"Alright! I lied. But now's not the time for a chit-chat. We're in a hurry, just let us go!".  
Syaoran grabbed Sakura's hand and stepped past Jr., but Jr. seized his arm and stopped him.  
"Let me go", said Syaoran coldly, a menacing look in his eyes.  
"Let me help you out", Jr. replied.  
"Uh? Why? You don't even know us!"  
"Cause you're in trouble and I can help you. I know the elven territory pretty well. At least, let me take you to the nearest town! It's better than getting lost, isn'it? But no more lies!"  
"Alright", Syaoran roared, "The name's Syaoran. She's Sakura. I'll save the chit-chat for later".  
Then, they reached the exit and Syaoran opened the door. Before jumping off, he and Sakura covered their heads with the cloack's hood, then, Syaoran left the train first, then helped Sakura jumping off, too. Jr. stuck with them - and sweared, as soon as he found himself outside in the rain: it was pouring and it was as cold as ice -- and he had only his leather coat to protect himself from the harsh weather, which was not waterproof at all!  
"Let's go", Syaoran said.  
They ran off swiftly, leaving the train behind, moving toward the forest boundaries.  
But before they could reach the forest, a black-cloacked man cut across their path and stopped them. Syaoran stepped before Sakura to protect her right away, Jr. moved next to him.  
"Jr.", Syaoran said, "Stick with Sakura. No matter what happens, don't leave her side"  
"What are you talking about? He's a lone guy, we can beat him for sure if we join forces"  
"We're surrounded"  
"What --??".  
Jr. looked round and noticed there were other black-cloacked men all around them.  
"What the hell --?", he roared, "There was only one of them! I'm sure of it!".  
They came out of nowhere and without him noticing at all!  
"They're replicas", Syaoran said, "Water clones"  
"You mean they're the same guy who split himself in this many?"  
"They're not. They're bodies made out of water and controlled by that guy's _spiritual energy_. They may look like him, but they're merely shadows. But be careful! They still have 1/10 of that guy's stenght and, since they're made of water, as long as it rains, they can regenerate. And believe me, that guy's _really_ strong. This is gonna be one though battle"  
"So...how do you plan to fight those _things_ anyway?"  
"The only way to get rid of the clones is to deafeat the one who controls them"  
"And you can tell _which_ one is the _real_ one?"  
"I can. And I can do this too: _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_".  
Syaoran formed a seal with his hands and unleashed his Bloodline Limit technique _Third Eye_, then he quickly formed the seal for the _Kage Bunshin_ technique and his body multiplied tenfold: the clones he created matched the number of the water clones and scattered all over the place, so to face each of the enemy's clones.  
"Woah!", Jr. roared, "You can create those things too?"  
"Nope", Syaoran replied, "My technique is different and it wastes a lot more energy than that of the enemy's. My clones will help you fight, but they won't last for long. Just stay by Sakura's side and shoot at those water clones with your gun, if they come any closer"  
"Wait! You're telling me you intend to fight that guy ALONE???"  
"This is a fight you can't join. I can see the original one, but you can't"  
"Alright! You knock out the bastard and I protect the missie, I got it"  
"Can I trust you?"  
"Leave it to me!"  
"Good".  
Syaoran turned his attention to the half-demon guy, stepped forward, took off his hood and faced the black-cloacked man - he knew he was real, cause he could see him with his third eye. At the same time, Jr. stepped by Sakura's side and wielded his guns.  
"I know you're the real one", Syaoran said, facing the enemy, "You coward!".  
The half-demon guy laughed - it sounded more like a bark, than a laugh, actually.  
"That shadow replication technique of yours, it's quite impressive", he said, "But it won't last for long, will it?"  
"This fight will be finished way sooner my technique is dispelled", replied Syaoran.  
The half-demon guy laughed again - and it was a very disturbing sound.  
"You talk big, brat", he said, "Like I'll let you escape so easily"  
"Like I'll let you beat me so easily", Syaoran replied, unperturbed.  
"We'll see about that!".  
The half-demon guy took out a knife and charged toward him, roaring, but Syaoran didn't get ruffled and stopped the opponent's knife with his right hand, just a split second before the edge could cut his throath.  
"You're good, brat", the half-demon guy said, wrenching himself free and stepping back.  
Then they engaged close combat, the half-demon armed with his knife and Syaoran bare-handed. They made a few exchanges, the demon trying to slash Syaoran's throath, Syaoran blocking all of his attacks and hitting him with his fist-and-kick combos, then they found themselves stuck again, but this time, Syaoran did not let the half-demon go.  
He seized the demon's armed hand firmly with his right hand, then he hit him in his jaw with a powerful left uppercut, with enough force to send him flying. When the demon's body started to fall, Syaoran jumped toward him and moved his own body so to find himself behind the demon's back. Then, he started and aerial combo.  
First, he kicked the demon's left lower chest with his right leg; right after that, he moved his own body so to so to kick the demon's right upper chest with his left leg and find himself above the demon's body. Then, while they were still falling, he kicked him repeatedly with both his legs, and finally, when they were close to the ground, he knocked him out with a powerful right kick.  
The half-demon guy hit the ground hardly, but his body was strenghtened by the demon's powers and the damage taken wasn't too bad, so he could stand up again after a couple of minutes.  
As for Syaoran, he couldn't control the fall and hit the ground violently with his back.  
He was able to stand up again, but his body was aching all over now and he felt dizzy.  
Since he was short on spiritual energy already, his shadow replication technique was dispelled, too. He glanced back at Sakura and saw that Jr. was having a hard time keeping the clones at a distance all by himself; also, his guns weren't effective at all against them.  
"I...need to finish this -- quickly...", Syaoran said to himself, panting as he was breathless.  
"You don't have time to look away!", the half-demon roared, charging him with his knife, aiming for Syaoran's heart this time.  
Thanks to his third eye ability, Syaoran was able to seize the knife's edge with his left hand a split second before the demon stabbed his chest; at the same time, he gathered energy in his right hand's palm and shaped it into a rotating sphere.  
"Take this!", he roared, "Taste my _Rasengan_!".  
And he hit the half-demon's chest with it. But the demon was hiding another knife in his left hand and he stabbed Syaoran's low left chest at the very moment the Rasengan hit his stomach. Then Syaoran's technique sent him flying and,as he fell violently on the ground, he was unable to move anymore; his water clone technique was dispelled, too.  
Syaoran got rid of the knife and hid the wound under the cloack, before rejoining Sakura and Jr. Since it was hidden, he pretended the wound wasn't there, cause Jr. was the type of guy who would have insisted to treat the wound, thus slowing them down, but they couldn't remain there any longer or the other half-demons would have caught up to them.  
"Syaoran!", Sakura cried, running toward him and hugging him as soon as she reached him. Crimson-red twinges of pain ran troughout Syaoran's body as Sakura hugged him, but he managed not to shake all over, to pull himself together and pretend he was fine.  
"Are you alright, Sakura?", he asked, smiling at her, "You're not hurt, are you?"  
"I'm not. Jr. was so gallant, he protected me by putting his own life on the line".  
She smiled.  
"He's not scratched at all, though"  
"Good. Thanks, Jr.", Syaoran said, looking at him.  
"You're the one who should be thanked", Jr. replied, "If you hadn't defeated that demon guy, we would have been overcome by those things and it is likely I would be dead by now and your princess taken miles away in some creepy dark and cold place. You're amazing, Syaoran! Where did you learn to fight like that?"  
"My father thaught me. It's a long story, but now's not the time for a chat. That guy wasn't alone, there were six of them on the train. We should get out of here before the others come. Since they're half-demons, we should be safe in the forest. Let's just head there"  
"Now, wait a minute! You mean we're staying OUT HERE in the RAIN? You're joking! We're going to catch a pneumonia if we stay out any longer! Let's get back to the train!"  
"You're deaf? I just said this guy's mates are on the train looking for us! Even if we wanted to, we can't go back now! We can only run away as fast and as far as we can! Now, you said you knew these lands very well. Just take us to the nearest city or something!"  
"You're nut! The nearest town is miles away from here! We can't go there by foot!"  
"Syaoran...", Sakura said, shaking all over, "I'm cold...".  
Syaoran casted a furious look on Jr.  
"Okay, okay", Jr. said, "There's a custom house not too far away from here. I'll take you there. Just follow me".  
They left the half-demon's dead body behind, they reached the forest boundaries and disappeared under the trees.

Since they left the train, they had been walking in the rain for an hour or so, following Jr.'s leading, but still they hadn't reached the custom house, nor they were any closer to it, since it was nowhere to be seen.  
The rain was as heavier and thicker as ever, so it was difficult to see any far than their noses and they could see only trees all over the place anyway.  
Syaoran started to think they got lost. Also, they were all worn out, their clothes were drenched and the rain was freezing cold, they would have caught a disease for sure if they stayed out any longer - _he was wounded, too_. The wound kept slowing him down ever since they began to walk, but now it was throbbing with ache; his body was getting weaker and weaker by the loss of blood; he had a high fever, too, and he was breathless and dizzy and he felt sick -- he felt as if he was gonna throw up at anytime.  
It was due to his strong will if he was still able to move and did not faint yet, but his body was numb, his eyes were foggy and his mind was slowly fading away.  
"Hey! Are you all right?", Jr. asked, looking back at him.  
"I'm okay", Syaoran replied.  
"You're not", Jr. argued, "You've been acting weird ever since you beat that weirdo".  
He stopped moving. Sakura, who was close to him, stopped moving, too.  
Syaoran reached them and fixed his eyes on Jr., furious.  
"Sorry I'm acting weird! But you know what?! We've been walking in the rain for an hour or so, now and that goddamn custom house is still nowhere to be seen, while we were supposed to be there by now! I'm drenched, I'm cold, I cannot feel my arms and legs anymore, my body is numb and won't move normally no matter how hard I try! Where's that custom house anyway?!"  
"It should have been here..."  
"You idiot! You said you knew the sorroundings well! Don't tell me we've got lost, now!"  
"Well...yeah! Sorry, last time I went there, I was on a TRAIN! I've never crossed these woods by foot before!"  
"You dumbass! We've got lost for real, then!"  
"Argue won't help us", Sakura barged in, "Just stop quarrelling and cool down you two! It's dark and we cannot see anything because of the rain. Maybe we should just look for shelter and wait for the rain to stop. Then, if only we're able to find the railway tracks, we'll get to the custom house in no time, since it's on the way for Timberbourgh. We need to rest ourselves anyway"  
"She does have a point", agreed Jr.  
Syaoran felt as if he was gonna faint and leaned on a tree not to fall.  
He was sure he was gonna throw up very soon - if only the trees stopped spinning, he could have felt better... - but breathing was so hard and painful - and his chest and stomach were both aching so much! -- and his body was shaking so much! - and, even if he was all soacked and cold he was burning inside -- focusing was very hard too...  
He could no longer stand on his feet and fell on his knees.  
"Syaoran!", Sakura cried.  
"What's wrong?", Jr. asked.  
His voice seemed so distant, as if he was miles away...  
"I - I'm alright", Syaoran replied, trying to pull himself together and stand up again, with the very last of his strenght - but his body refused to move, no, it couldn't move anymore.  
He felt the disgusting taste of retch in his throath and mouth and threw up.  
Jr. kneeled before him and seized him abruptly, wringing Syaoran a shudder of pain.  
"What's wrong with you all of a sudden? If you were sick, you should have told me!"  
"I - I'm sorry...", Syaoran replied, with a harsh voice, "I...cannot bear it..._anymore_...".  
And fainted and collapsed into Jr.'s arms.  
"Syaoran!", Sakura yelled, and started crying, "What's wrong with him? Why...?"  
"Pull yourself together, princess", Jr. replied, "I cannot nurse the two of you".  
He set Syaoran down on the ground and removed the cloack.  
His eyes were caught by Syaoran's wound right away.  
"I cannot believe it!", he yelled, "This stupid kid! He kept moving with a wound like this!"  
"But...when...? Why...?", Sakura asked, shaking all over by cold and fear.  
"He must've been wounded when he fought with that weirdo", Jr. replied, furious, "I just hope he didn't loose too much blood, even though his blood pressure must be critically low, thus he fainted. This is bad, I can barely do emergency treatment here".  
He took off both his belt and sash and used the sash as a bandage to tape up Syaoran's wound and stop the bleeding, then he tied the belt round his waist again.  
"Can you still walk, Sakura?", he asked.  
Sakura nodded.  
"Good".  
Jr. hoisted the wounded Syaoran on his shoulders and stood up.  
He thought find shelter and rest for the night was a good idea, before Syaoran collapsed in his arms, but now they needed to reach that custom house desperately, or Syaoran would have died for sure. It was difficult to get their bearings in the heavy rain at night, but he was almost sure he was finally able to pinpoint the location of the custom house and that it was not too far away from their current position.  
"We're moving", he said, "Stay close or you'll get lost"  
"Okay"  
"Let's go".  
As the rain kept falling cold and heavy, they set out again and disappeared into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**THE CHRONICLES OF GAIA**

**LEGAL DISCLAIMER**

I do not own Tsubasa Chronicle, the characters, nor any other manga/game characters I may have referred to.

**CHAPTER TWO**

**INTO THE DARKNESS**

Syaoran regained consciousness just for a little while, while they were still going through the forest, and noticed that someone was carrying him on his back.  
That reminded him of when he was little and got hurt during a tree climbing exercise while he was training with his father - that time, he sprained his right ankle and couldn't walk anymore, so his father loaded him on his shoulders and took him back home.  
Kamui called him idiot when he knew he got hurt falling from the tree.  
"It's because you cannot mold your energy correctly you keep falling, dumbass!".  
Kamui was always better than him at learning ninja techniques, but Syaoran was stubborn and never gave up. He resumed the tree climbing training as soon as he was able to move again - his ankle wasn't even fixed yet - and eventually he succeeded.  
He could never stand Kamui and was always picking fights with him; despite that, they were happy back then. It was also around that time he made that promise to Kamui.  
Yep, it was when Kamui caught that disease and thought he was gonna die.  
He made Syaoran promise he would always protect his little sister Sakura.  
"Dumbass, it's only chicken pox, there's no way you're gonna die!", Syaoran told him.  
"Just promise me!", Kamui replied, crying.  
In the end, Syaoran promised him he would always protect Sakura, no matter what.  
Eventually, Kamui got better and recovered his health, but never asked Syaoran to break the promise.  
"I'm sorry, Kamui", Syaoran whispered, "I'm gonna break that promise, now".  
And lost consciousness again.

"_What are you saying, dumbass! You made that promise back then and I trusted you! Now you're saying you're gonna break it without even try to fulfill it?"_.  
Syaoran stopped falling and opened his eyes, to find himself lying on a soft spot of grass under a maple tree, from which the golden leaves were falling gently and silently.  
Kamui was sitting next to him. He was all dressed in black and had his back turned on Syaoran. He wasn't looking at Syaoran, his eyes were lost in the distance.  
Syaoran tried to move and sit up, but his body was heavy and numb and refused to move.  
"I'm sorry, Kamui", he said, "I swear I really wanted to fulfill that promise you made me do when we were kids, but my body won't move anymore and my mind is fading away. It's just...I'm so tired! Let me rest, Kamui".  
Kamui turned his head and looked at Syaoran -- he was smiling, but there were both sadness and regret in his deep, cold, ice-blue eyes.  
"Dumbass, it's only a scratch, there's no way you're gonna die! Just pull yourself together and snap out of it! Come on, you're not that weak!"  
"Not this time, Kamui. I cannot bear this pain, it's too much for me. Just let me go, already!"  
"You never gave up before. Not that time when you sprained your ankle and resumed that tree climbing training even if your ankle wasn't fixed yet. Non that time, nor the other times you faced hardships either --"  
"Cut it out, Kamui. You're not even here! It's my mind playing tricks. Just fade away along with the last of my consciousness and let me rest! Don't you see I'm all worn out?"  
"You're right", Kamui said, standing up and turning his back on Syaoran, "I'm not here. Those Demons kidnapped me that day, five months ago. You made a promise back then, too"  
"I promised Sakura I would rescue you"  
"Do you wish to break that promise, too?"  
"No! But..."  
"Just wake up!".

Syaoran opened his eyes and found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling above.  
The bed he was lying on was clean and soft; the sheets were smooth under his fingers and had a nice scent, as if they had been washed recently and dried up in the sun. The blanket was of soft wool, the softest woollen cloth he ever touched.  
He looked round: he was in a small room with wooden ceiling and floor and brick walls painted in white. Right next to the right side of his bed there was a window covered by white linen curtains, while on the left side there were a night-table and a chair. There were herbal medicines and bandages on the night-table, a basin filled with fresh water, with a linen cloth floating on the water's surface and his glasses, too.  
At his feet, opposite the bed, there was a fireplace, and next to it, there was the door.  
He was alone in the room but could hear people's voices coming from outside.  
He wondered where was he, how did he arrive there and how much time had passed since he fainted in the woods - it was brigth outside the window, so it was morning or early afternoon, but of which day of the week?  
He tried to and sit on the bed, but his body refused to move and he felt a stitch in his left side, too.  
"Don't move yet", said a girl, opening the door and stepping in, "You're still weak".  
Syaoran reached out his left hand to take his glasses on the night-table and put them on, so to see the girl clearly. She was beautiful: her hair were long and straight, the golden color of the autumn leaves; they fell free and soft on her shoulders. Her eyes were sapphire-blue, warm, kind and wise. Her skin was white, smooth and soft. She had such good figure, she seemed to have been carved by the chisel of an artist, rather than being shaped by Mother Nature's own hands. She was tall and thin and Syaoran didn't fail to notice she had long, sharp ears. She was a fairy's child, a girl from the Elven Kind. She was wearing the clothes the Elves used to wear: a silk skirt the color of the pine-tree, with long, tailored sleeves; a short, sleeveless, blossom-green linen tunic, with a silky, jade-green sash tied round her waist and a linen knee-lenght flared skirt the same color of her shirt. Her legs were naked and on her feet she was wearing a pair of soft leather boots the color of the hazelnut.  
"Who are you? Where am I?", Syaoran asked.  
"I'm Colette", the girl replied, "And this is a customs house on the eastern border of the Oblivion Forest, on the way for the Elven Capital City of Timberbourgh. The train stops here as well. I live here with oncle, who's a customs officer and auntie, his wife"  
"I see. So Jr. managed to take us here, after all. Sakura's here as well, I guess"  
"Yes. The girl is resting in the other room right now"  
"What about Jr.? Is he still here? Or has he left already?"  
"I'm still here", Jr. said, stepping in, "So, you're finally awake. Glad to see you're okay, kid"  
"Glad to see you're as high-spirited and noisy as always", Syaoran replied.  
"What--?? Hey, kid! I saved your life, you know? You should be more grateful!"  
"Actually, it was me that fixed his wound", Colette argued.  
"But I was the one who brought him here!", Jr. answered back.  
"You look just like husband and wife", remarked Syaoran, laughing.  
"What?", Colette and Jr. shouted, "It's not as it seems! We're just _childhood friends_!"  
"Sorry", Syaoran apologized, "And thanks"  
"You're welcome", Jr. replied, "Still, you owe me an explanation: who are you? Where do you come from? And why those demon-guys are chasing after you?"  
"It's a long story"  
"I have plenty of time"  
"All right, sit down, you too".  
Syaoran took off his glasses, closed his eyes and recollected the painful memories of five months earlier. Broken images and sounds came to his mind, shattered fragments of a sorrowful past: the ominous sound of the temple's bell, the roaring rumble of the thunder, flashing red flames burning down the town, people shouting and crying in pain and fear...  
"It all began...five months ago...".

The milky light of the early morning filled the room and Kamui's sleep was dispelled.  
Kamui woke up, but he took little time to linger in bed for a while, before getting up.  
When he first woke up in that room, he had no memories of his past, he couldn't even remember his name or who was he - it was horrible and painful and dreadful. The only memory he did have, it was of burning pain in his chest, so painful it was almost unbearable and then, when the pain finally faded away, he fell into dark oblivion. So he thought he had been wounded and lost his memory due to the shock. Even so, it was painful not to know who was he, so painful he just cried and cried and cried and eventually he fell asleep again, wishing not to wake-up a second time.  
When he woke up again, there was a man sitting on a chair next to his bed.  
He was a very distinguished man. He had long, silver-white hair, gathered in a long ponytail, and wise but cold ice-blue eyes. He had sharp features, as the Elves, and was tall and thin. He was dressed all in black. His suit was elegant, though kinda old-fashioned, the kinda clothing a country gentleman from the Westernesse would wear when taking a walk in the Western Woods of the Great Lakes Region.   
He was handsome but kinda threatening; so Kamui thought he was dead and the Angel of Death came to take him to the hereafter. But the man reassured him he was not dead, but he had been very ill for a very long time, but was safe now, even though he was still weak.  
The man called himself Sephiroth and told Kamui he was the one who saved him five months earlier, when Kamui's hometown was attacked by Demons - and burnt down - and all of his friends and family slaughtered. When he found Kamui, the poor boy was wandering aimlessly in the outskirts, with no memory of himself, burning with fever and with an infected wound in his chest. Sephiroth was moved to pity and took the sick, soulless boy back with him. He took very good care of him, even though he did not know if Kamui would wake up ever again and it was such a painful thought he prayed everyday and night for Kamui to get better soon. When Kamui finally woke up and his prayers were fulfilled, it was so much of a relief he cried of joy.  
He said he was childless and told Kamui he would have adopted him as his own child, if Kamui wished for it. Since Kamui had no place to go and no memory of himself, he accepted to become Sephiroth's son and to stay there with him. Then Sephiroth gave him the name Kamui and, as soon as Kamui got better and could stand up again, he showed him the castle and sorroundings and told him it was his home now and he was free to move inside and outside the castle as he pleased.  
Sephiroth was a busy man, so he entrusted Kamui to his faithful servant Squint-eyed. He told Kamui Squint-eyed was a lazy and vicious man and to be hard on him if ever Squint-eyed disappointed him.  
Then Kamui's life at the castle began. But it was not as funny as Kamui thought it would be: starting from the early morning, a private teacher Sephiroth hired for him gave him boring lessons ranging from the World's History and Literature to Natural Sciences and Alchemy. Then the fencing master gave him swordfighting lessons and the Captain of the Guards thaught him how to fight bare-handed in close combat. Yet another expert gave him lessons on how to perform spells and charms. Actually, he had no free time for leisure activities, cause he had tons of homeworks to do, too.  
Once a day, Sephiroth called him in his room to play chess with him and keep up about Kamui's education. Kamui enjoyed the time he spent with his foster father, also because Sephiroth told him a lot of interesting things.  
Kamui was very amused when Squint-eyed screwed up, too, cause he could beat him. His heart throbbed with joy every time he could pour out his grief by beating Squint-eyed, cause his teachers used to scold him a lot and treated him as if he was dumb and that made Kamui very angry.  
But not much time passed before Kamui noticed there was something weird about him. He didn't notice at first, but, as time passed, he started to feel as if something was growing inside his heart, something dark and cold, that replaced what was missing: feelings he should have had, the very feelings that made a human being human, feelings he did not have anymore. He could only feel anger, joy, hatred and fear. There were no such feelings as love and tenderness and mercy and warmth in his heart, only the will to hurt people and to destroy everything and a boundless thirtst for power. Still, he had distant and almost forgotten memories of him being once able to love and feel tenderness and mercy and seek for the warmth of other human hearts.  
He could feel the present self was not his real self, yet, he had no will to look for his true self - even though he was much of a soulless monster now, than the human being he used to be, there was _something_ that prevented him from revert back to the kind-hearted boy he once was.  
The power that was growing inside him was far too seductive and sweet to throw it away, even though by throwing it away he might have been able to find the thruth about himself. Still, he feared that power and was unable to seize it, as his heart kept telling him to do.  
There was something weird about his body, too. As time passed, he began to feel less and less hungry and more and more sleepless. Lately, his stomach started to twinge with pain at the very sight and smell of food and even if he was still able to eat a few, food was tasteless and turned into ashes in his mouth. He was restless, too, and even when he managed to sleep a bit, he was anguished by nightmares: dreams of people and places he should have known but he couldn't remember, ghosts from his forgotten past; dreams in which people he loved and cared for disappeared and in which he was left alone, trembling with fear; and dreams in which he was swallowed by Darkness, but that made him feel complete again.  
It was just so painful to be trapped in that limbo, unable to make up his mind!  
And he had a strange dream that very night, too. He shook his head and got up.  
There was a silver tray on his desk; most likely, when he was still asleep, Squint-eyed came and brought him breakfast, but he wasn't hungry at all, so he just left the tray where it was and forgot about it.  
He was burning inside, as if he had a high fever, but without shivers, so he thought it was not a bad idea to take a walk in the court and breath some fresh air.  
He dressed up. All of his clothes were black, so he had not much of a choice but to wear a black sweater and a pair of black trousers; his trainers were black too, but with a grey-and-yellow striped pattern on both sides. Then, he left the room.

"Oh, the child is up and about already".  
Sephiroth and his guest were in Sephiroth's room, playing chess at the table near the window. From Sephiroth's room they could see the central court of the fortress and the cloister: Kamui was there, sitting on a stone bench near the fountain.  
"He does not sleep very much", said Sephiroth, "He has nightmares almost every night".  
Sephiroth's guest was a handsome young man. He was tall and thin, with short black hair and brown eyes. He was dressed all in black, with a long double-breasted coat, a black polo-neck sweater and trousers and a pair of black hobnailed boots. Despite the young age, he was Sephiroth's lieutenant, the one Sephiroth trusted the most. His name was Fuuma and was once part of the Li Family: Syaoran's older brother and the one who betrayed and slaughtered his own parents and younger sister - the one Syaoran hated the most, whom he sweared revenge.  
"So, you gave him the _Seed of Darkness_", Fuuma said, making his move.  
"Indeed", Sephiroth replied, removing from the game the pawn Fuuma just moved.  
"I guess he lost his memory, just like the other test subjects"  
"He did. But it was most convenient. Dealing with him would have been difficult, if he remained the stubborn, kind-hearted boy he once was. As it is now, he's more of an empty shell than a human being. It will be easier for the Seed to bloom this way".  
Fuuma made another move and removed one of Sephiroth's bishops from the game.  
"The Seed's growht should be almost complete by now"  
"It shall bloom soon", Sephiroth replied, moving one of his towers closer to the king.  
"Still, it's amazing that Kamui was able to adapt the Seed to his body so well", Fuuma remarked, reflecting upon his next move, "The other test subjects implanted with the Seed transformed into horrible monsters and we had to..._dispose of_ them. But Kamui, he's undergone very few minor changes, so far"  
"Most likely, the power that sleeps within him protects him from the Seed's side effects. The other test subjects did not have the same amount of power"  
"I guess not. Kamui's existence is unique".  
Fuuma moved one of his pawns and removed one of Sephiroth's horses from the game, then Sephiroth quickly removed that pawn. Still, it was Fuuma who led the game.  
"Check in three moves", he declared.  
"We'll see", Sephiroth replied, creating a castling to protect the king.  
"So, what will you do when the Seed blooms?", Fuuma replied, opening a path to Sephiroth's king by removing one of Sephiroth's pawn with a horse.  
"I'll send Kamui after his sister", Sephiroth replied, moving one of his remaining pawns closer to Fuuma's horse to lure him into his trap: was Fuuma to remove the pawn, Sephiroth would have removed Fuuma's horse with his other bishop.  
"Alway quick at sacrificing your pieces", Fuuma said, removing Sephiroth's pawn.  
"You too", Sephiroth remarked, removing Fuuma's horse.  
"You fell for it", said Fuuma, removing the bishop with one his own bishops and opening the path for Sephiroth's king, "So, you're gonna use _him_ as a _tool_. I do pity him"  
"Why, I thought you threw away such useless human feelings when you slaughtered your family"  
"It was just a selfish thought. Kamui's existence is so beautiful and rare, it's a waste to use him just as tool"  
"The way it is now, he's of no use to me. What I seek is the boundless power that sleeps within him. It is most unfortunate the key to that power lies within his sister, though, since she's still at large", Sephiroth remarked, moving his last remaining pawn into Fuuma's horse's path, but Fuuma ignored the pawn and moved another piece: it was his final move, with which he destroyed Sephiroth's castling. Now, the king was defenseless and ready to fall.  
"Checkmate", he declared.  
"That is why I like you: you're as sharp-minded as you're merciless. You do make a fine villain, Fuuma. Still, it disappoints me you let your brother live and let him escape with the girl"  
"There was..._interference_"  
"From your thirteen-year-old sister? You should be ashamed of yourself"  
"I did underestimate her. Was I to face Syaoran again, I'll be sure not to make the same mistake twice"  
"Looks like you're looking forward to it"  
"But you didn't invite me here just to play chess and chit-chat about trivial matters, did you? What do you want me to do?"  
"I got word from my subordinates that the children are now within the Elven territory. My half-demons cannot follow them there. But you, you're still human, my dear Fuuma. So, you shouldn't have problems sneaking into the forest and keep an eye on them for me"  
"I just have to look after them?"  
"You do not need me to remind you the Elven Forest is the Oracle's homeland, do you? We don't want to start a war with the Elves..._yet_. Just do as you're told"  
"You do realize the Oracle will spot me as soon as I step into the forest, do you?"  
"Of course she will, that _witch_. But she won't lay a finger on you, as long as you behave yourself. Also, try to enjoy your time at the Elves' place: this is the season they celebrate the _Birth of the Planet_. There'll be a gorgeous feast. It'll be amusing"  
"Oh? You miss your homeland?"  
"Of course not. Just don't disappoint me. I won't forgive you twice. Go now".  
Fuuma left the room. He met with Kamui in the corridor. The boy was as pale as a dying and as lifeless as ever. Fuuma felt a twinge of regret, deep inside his heart, but he suppressed that feeling quickly: it was too late now, to repent and atone for his sins.


End file.
